Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Popular science media and ESP

The popular science media often gets things wrong about psi research. But today I saw a news post that establishes a new threshold for journalistic nonsense.In its "Weird" news section, National Geographics' website carried an article entitled "ESP Is Put to the Test—Can You Foretell the Results? It's just hokum, say researchers, who offer a new experiment as proof."The news post goes on to report that a study published January 13 in PLOS ONE, an online peer-reviewed journal, provides this proof in an experiment described as:"Can people use ESP to figure out what's on the face of a card?"Seriously?

In fact the paper doesn't mention ESP, the reported study wasn't a test of ESP, and the references in the article don't cite any articles that are even tangentially relevant to ESP. It had nothing whatsoever to do with ESP.So what was the source of this silly mistake, blaring proof of ESP as "hokum"? The majority of science news appearing on blogs today, even on presumably well-regarded sites like National Geographic, is just copy and pasted from other blogs. When one of the blogs gets the story wrong, but the topic seems suitably spicy for a "weird column," a writer who is under pressure to provide daily blog content assumes that the content of the copied blog is correct, embellishes it a bit to avoid plagiarism filters, and submits it to an editor who doesn't have the time or interest to check the facts. This practice quickly perpetuates nonsense, the nonsense morphs into a widely cited source, and that soon becomes gospel on Wikipedia. Wow.Update thanks to Nancy Zingrone: A further demonstration of how nonsense feeds on itself to become breathtakingly stupid: see Discovery News.

43 comments:

I've never understood why scientists are so adamantly against this or try and push it off as complete nonsenses without even consulting the evidence. Whilst I have trouble accepting it myself sometimes, because it looks a bit too good to be true, I see nothing in it that would really conflict with much of established laws and theories. Evolution for instance seems completely compatible with PSI phenomena, an animal that was more capable of sensing what was going to happen minutes or moments before would have a better chance of survival than those who did not. I see no dichotomy there at all.

One perspective on this is that significant factual errors in media coverage is hardly limited to controversial subjects. One allegedly 'quality' British newspaper that I occasionally glance at whilst visiting relatives invariably makes many mistakes in articles on subjects I happen to know something about, for example.The role of cognitive dissonance shouldn't be underestimated...I'm experiencing quite a lot of that at the moment with the early chapters of 'Supernormal' for example. My first exposure to psi was via a couple of personal experiences which I studiously ignored for some time. It took various papers published on the US intelligence community efforts in this area to persuade me to read anything on it at all and another ten years before I felt sure there is an effect. There is no fully developed theoretical explanation however and if my first attempt at seriously looking at it had claimed religious perspectives should be taken seriously as fact, rather than perhaps presenting some correlated effects, I'd probably have joined the ranks of the extreme sceptics as the cognitive dissonance would have been far beyond anything bridgeable.

Dean this dumb distortion of the purpose of the original article was the subject of a video on YouTube today by DNews, which is run by Discovery. It's already got over 21000 views, and usually these two are much more subtle in their messages, and more knowledgeable about their resources. The more people who give them stick about this the better. They guys are very visible and usually very reliable. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDFeBMGMyTs

It is pretty astonishing how ignorant the self-ordained champions of science and reason are about science and reason.

This is the product of CSICOP's campaign to first intimidate scientists and scholars and the media into pushing their agenda. That was an explicit goal of theirs from the start and they have succeeded in even suppressing the consideration of some of the most highly controlled and careful research into human behavior that has ever been conducted. A lot of it is due to the fact that hardly any of those commenting on it could even read that research due to their complete ignorance of statistics and probability, something which many of the most famous of the CSICOPs are known to have shared with them. Apparently even Martin Gardner had his trouble with that area of mathematics, as George Hansen noted.

The insidious nature of this is that these ignorant people have been sold the idea that their ignorant refusal to look at science is, in itself, the quintessential scientific act, itself. Which shows how bad things have gotten in science. I can't remember who it was who noted that the physicists of the 1960s and 70s were, mostly, abysmally ignorant of philosophy, whereas those of the past weren't. It's gotten worse since then. A lot of them apparently don't even have a basic knowledge of what constitutes scientific inquiry. And the media hacks are ten times worse.

Okay, I'm new to Radin, but very interested after watching a youtube video wherein he did a great job with some really sophomoric questions. I am going to read his books. So this is kind of a fan letter, but also some thoughts. I questioned just about everything as a child, but was pretty squelched and existed in a very materialistic world. Then, as a young adult, I stumbled upon a personal practice (martial arts) that, unknown to me, was sharpening what one could call (from a limited point of view) a latent talent. I had so many "psi" experiences that astounded me that I got scared because it didn't fit my existing world view, and I had to back out. (But I also had the universal consciousness experience, and that never leaves you). Anyway, I sensed that the precognition, esp, spontaneous effects on matter, was just phenomena, and could actually mask deeper understanding. However, from time to time, I would explore again, and also studied whatever I could find. But I felt like a kid with a sword in my hand that I was waving around randomly, cutting branches. I wasn't mature enough to handle it. Now, finally, I am retiring and no longer occupied with working (in a totally non-related field) and raising a family, and able to pick up the path--I learned you always came back to it at the point you left, no matter for how long--time collapses, you might say. I've dived into it all, everything that is out there today--black holes, holistic universe, observer effect, etc. etc. as well as coming at it from the other paradigm (what is generally assigned to philosophy). Finally, my worlds have found their meeting spot--it's still a work in progress, of course, but I'm right now at a spot where there is so much clarity that it's like standing on the top of the mountain.

Long letter to get to the point here: I realized, that as far as consciousness goes, "I" am the interface of both conception and perception, the two faces of experience that bring completion in every moment (time being, of course, only part of the illusion created by separating that experience--a question of relationship). It seems then that the highest thought has to be always a question: in this case, why do I have this conception/perception? If the material world is always a metaphor--as it logically must be--then why is the taboo/squelching attitude toward expanded understanding there? What is going on? (This is not a question for the answer to come from the same level as the activity perceived--and it is a genuine one).

To be fair, the statement, "can people use ESP to figure out what's on the face of a card?" did not refer to the PLOSone study, but to Rhine's research using Zener cards. The PLOSone study demonstrated that people can gain information (detect change) while remaining unaware of where that information came from. This is relevant to claims of psi where people regard the information as 'anomalous' if they are unable to identify its source.

I agree. I found it odd that the connection to ESP seems to be coming from the authors, but none of this was mentioned specifically in the study. And even if one concedes the ESP connection with this specific study, it doesn't have anything to do with disproving the effects in the other two studies mentioned (Rhine's and Bem's).

I've had a similar experience. Years back I was in the field with a bunch of paid staff ecologists. And they kept on insisting that the field contained grassland species because their source was from some paper (that kept on being cited everywhere else). I knew by direct observation, that they were wrong. But no one listened to me. It upset me so, I went off by myself and cried.

To my mind, most of the natural phenomena that you describe in your book could be explained from the position of a Provisional World View explounded on the website http://www.kartinamira2.narod.ru/index_e.htm and http://www.kartinamira2.narod.ru/ds_e.htm(I'm sorry that the materials of this site have been translated into English language not in full).

Besides that, the Provisional World View points out the reason of oncological and mental diseases as well as explains the phenonenon of the Khambo Lama Itigilov's imperishable body.

In 1 of your vids available online you said that advanced meditators would know about events well in advance. If mind has this nonlocal property and can look into past, present and future, then, why is it that the prophecies made by the sages and prophets have failed so miserably in fulfilling themselves?

Secondly, in your book Conscious Universe you envisaged a future world in which superior mental faculties brought about by meditation would translate into undreamed of technological advances (a case of mind over matter).

If what you say is possible, then, why couldn't the sages and prophets of the past invent machines and tell us about neuronal networks and about thermonuclear reactions and about proteins and about red shifts and why can't advanced meditators of the present reveal to us the keys to higher knowledge that would result in the production of a hi tech tool like say a quantum computer and also provide us with insights needed to understand and treat some 4000 or more incurable diseases? If mystical powers are so awesome as many people naively believe, then why has the world only begun to make real progress on the scientific, medical and technological fronts only since the past century or so and why haven't any of the great meditative sages and prophets of the past or present attained to bodily immortality?

David - good questions. I discuss all this in detail in my latest book, Supernormal (www.supernormalbook.com).

The (very brief) bottom line is that most of the stories of ancient superpowers are embellishments. But if *any* aspect of those stories are genuine it's a major game-changer.

Based on analysis of a huge amount of empirical data, my opinion is that *some* aspects of those stories are in fact true. This may not have short-term pragmatic consequences, but as with leading any area of basic science, eventually it will.

Dean, I appreciate your work.I thought you may be interested in an unusual meditative experience I recently had. There are neuro and electromagnetic implications. I generally meditate for 2-3 hours nightly. I am one of those interested in the deepest spirit. Recently, I was about 2 hours into meditation...at about 2 am est. I know when my left brain ego finally relaxes and quiets...and when the more spiritual aspects of the brain manifest. At the Exact Moment of this occurance, again about 2 hours into the session, I experienced this message : "Over Come Obstacles, Focus on Conciousness". This has a very deep impact on my receptive consciousness. It comes from way deep. AT THAT EXACT SECOND of the Message.....Bam!...the Radio comes on with a DJ blaring music. I was startled and instantly started assimilating the amazing coincidence...but, you know, it was not really a coincidence. Here's why. I don't watch TV, read the Paper or listen to the Radio. What I do have in my meditating room is a digital sound maker...you know, surf sounds, waterfall sounds, etc. I often use the sound maker...but inadvertently switch it to radio (off station) and didn't realize it. The device was silent throughout the entire day. I could calculate a minimum of 12 hours of quietude, or 43,200 seconds. What are the odds of this happening...and why did it happen? The early intuit suggests interplay between my suddenly quiet suddenly messaged brain (and the brain waves)...and the RADIO-ON-BUT-OFF-STATION condition. Again, absolutely no sound was heard throughout the day. I have other interesting experiences but I thought this one may possibly be of value in your experimentation methodology. Could be hard to apply. Then, a 2nd shock. Three days later, I was in deep meditation. Standing Pose. The Left Brain Ego Relaxed. Suddenly the Powerful Numinous was my focus. Again...at that very instant...the radio came on...same as before...having been previously silent for at least 12 hours. SO, I know you will appreciate the implications...Thank you for doing your work.

Dean, In thinking of your ZEN FOLKS meditating on the double slit experiment, I consider that my electromagnetic radio - brain wave experience...is one that could potentially be explored,say by one with your particular background. Mine, by the way is performance and systems engineering in the large petabyte IBM Z-Series Sites. This career and environment helped development my research skills and also my ability to patternize complex environments...say, 25,000 programs all running at once. It was...kind of fun...but a political hellhole to say the least. I coined a phrase: "Environmentally High Density of A-Holes"... Anyway, one with with your specific background, especially in electrical engineering, might be able to construct an experiment to induce EM changes of this nature. I would say Consciously induce, but I mean to say, as Peter Russell or Tolle might...that this particular EM effect could be actually coming from our right brain complex's AWARENESS brainwaves...not the Conscious thoughts of the Left Brain. Or, the quieting of the Left Brain itself maybe sufficient to have EM effect. (I haven't retained all of the brain-wave types...but have that stuff in my notes.) In recalling your books, I don't recall an exact experiment that focused on Right Brain Synapse changes that effected an EM device. I would suppose appropriate measurements of said waves, distances, timing could be reproduced. Could be extremely intermittent. I wonder if Persinger's Helmet or Protocols could be of use here. Since my experience happened twice, albeit in a anecdotal way, I consider that the EM change in the radio...is repeatable, by complex experimental design. Well, actually, it is also spiritual design. I can just see Randi, fuming and gnashing his teeth at such an experience. In my writings, I am producing a brain theory on why he acts so 'funny'. A hint is in McGilChrist's "Master and the Emissary". "The number One function of the left brain..is not math, speaking,etc...but rather to inhibit the right brain." The concept of 2 cats fighting in a closed bag comes to mind. No need to get back to me, unless you wish. Just expressing myself. Have a good day. Keep up the Fierce Honesty.Steven

Steve, was it really the radio? Some people who are very clairaudient hear songs in their head. I'm one of those. On more than one occasion I have gotten out of bed to turn off the blaring CD player, only to find that it was not on. Eventually I worked out that the songs were a form of spiritual guidance - and the information turned out to be very useful - or was just a means to help me understand something or prepare for something. e.g. One morning I awoke and the song "Suicide is painless" - the theme from MASH - was playing loudly in my head. I thought it was a warning about someone who might attempt suicide. But it was a little more direct than that - my brother had committed suicide during the night. The police knocked on the door two hours later to inform me.

Dean, I respect your work and am so grateful for your contributions to psi research. Is there anything IONS could do to continually update wikipedia's perpetuation of the psi taboo in their statements about parapsychology, i.e,. the whole thing begins with statement that the field is a pseudoscience, then claims there is no legitimate research or that any academic institutes do research in psi (all not true).

> Is there anything IONS could do to continually update wikipedia's ...

It appears that WP is a lost cause. Any encyclopedia that allows anonymous editors to write articles on any topic, and then to explicitly block people from editing who actually have expertise, is doomed to failure. This makes WP a propaganda tool for an ideological worldview which for many topics is probably close enough for practical purposes, but for controversial topics it is dreadfully wrong.

This wouldn't matter much if those in charge of WP cared about the integrity of their "product," and they did something about it. But apparently they don't care, leading even the co-founder of WP to leave the organization in disgust.

As I've noted elsewhere, see wikipediocracy.com to read about some of the more egregious failures of what might have been a great experiment (and still could be with some changes in policy).

Hi Dean, I have not studied the wiki editorial process...but it seems to me that the skeptic groups are potentially getting money from sources unknown...otherwise fledgling volunteerism would probably be influenced by attrition and eventually fade away. I considered that Dawkins or Randi backing money could be potentially involved. I considered that a method to combat this scenario would be to use the same methods as they, meaning,employ a good sized group of psi volunteers, give them a wee bit of compensation (books, etc), get them wiki-knowledgeable, and then ask them to do the very same thing that the skeptics do...creating author lists, auto-mechanisms for updates, etc. One could target the known leaders and begin to corrupt their wiki data, same as they have done you. Dawkins might get a little upset at seeing his wiki data getting corrupted by tit-for-tat psi response...for a long, long time. Perhaps a public debate between psi and skeptic leaders could result. Sounds a lot like a war of volunteer armies...and it probably would be. Turning the other cheek is one modality. In the B. Gita, Arjuna's response was entirely different, yes? So, sometimes, the answer is to slap back...pretty hard. If this wiki war was to start...I predict a truce would eventually come about. Imagine numerous wiki editors on each side of the dividing wall...you'll get the pic. One of the bloggers asked why do they do these things...such as commandeering wiki, etc. My answer...Left Brain Cerebral dominance. McGilchrist's tome "The Master and the Emissary' is a good start towards this neuropyschology notion of neural dominance in the social and culture theaters. My comments may not be reflective of other wiki-related details...but think of the intrusion. If they had other technologies to use against psi folk...they would. So, sooner or later, psi wagons may need to be formed into a circle for protection. The world could very easily develop into a stark, new future...dominated by powerful pseudo-creatures...such as Dawkins or Randi types.

To Marcus. By the way, in addition to the brain-wave-radio-wave discussion, I too have occasional parenthesis during meditative moments. But...it is entirely different. Both experiences are valuable and worth learning from.During Meditation at 2 am, for example, I heard the TV come on...it makes a very distinct sound when it does. The TV was not on tho...it was just a very loud sound...in my left ear...again a right brain indicator of something trying to come through. I had been focusing on Huston Smith's auto-bio during the day...then, late at night, I had a meditative experience that revealed a greater knowledge of the depth of Smith's experience...which included the TV sound...but also several other important internal factors of observation. Don't have space here to provide more details. Have a good day...

Dr Radin. I previously commented on how there seemed to be no problem with psi and evolution. However, one thing that I do find hard to comprehend is the idea that maybe consciousness creates reality. In one of your Physics Essays papers, for instance, you sort of discuss this point, mentioning that the prevailing view that things were here before human consciousness evolved to observe it. I suppose what I'm really trying to get across is that this feels deeply counter-intuitive.

Steve: "a method to combat" the WP problem. I agree, but to do this right would require time, focus, organizational skills, and a passion for battle. I'm personally more interested in advancing the state of the science than in shepherding that sort of ideological fight, but fortunately there are others who are doing a credible job on the battleground, such as Craig Weiler: http://weilerpsiblog.wordpress.com/.

Dean, I am sure you know more about the politics of these wiki situations than I...I read a bit of Weiler...it's just that when I read about a $5m SAP proposal for a Deepak Chopra project of some sort, well, if that happens...It indicates some interest and funding somewhere. Still, the battle is uphill.

One thing I'd like to ask, if you don't mind, is how does one go through life not feeling stupid for believing, or rather accepting this stuff. The remarks from the 10s of thousands of people on the Dawkins, Randi, other skeptical forums, news sites, becomes so overpowering that I feel that I must be wrong accepting on what evidence I have seen, that consciousness is much larger than what is presumed. The aforementioned commenters/forum posters, appear to be in such large number, stating the exact same stuff, that I feel like a deluded idiot.

I apologise for the high frequency of posts, I'm just wondering how one gets over such 'noise' without feeling like one is believing without evidence, when in fact there is evidence suggestive of broad range of phenomena.

> The aforementioned commenters-forum posters, appear to be in such large number, stating the exact same stuff, that I feel like a deluded idiot.

Most people posting in skeptical forums have already made up their minds about what is or is not true. They haven't studied the relevant literature in any detail, or perhaps at all, so their convictions are based on what they've heard from other so-called skeptics. And unlike genuine skeptics, they uncritically accept ideas that match their prejudices and uncritically reject the rest. As a group they also tend to be quite angry and cynical, which is a red flag because it suggests that what they take for rational thought is actually based on emotion.

In addition, just because some people prefer to think a certain way doesn't mean that they are correct. The history of science shows very clearly that most scientists think within current paradigms most of the time, and as such they very strongly resist ideas that challenge the paradigm. If you haven't yet read Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions," I recommend it as essential for understanding this ideological clash.

The bottom line is whether you feel it's necessary to go along with the crowd to determine what you decide to believe. It is usually more comfortable to go along with the crowd, but crowds do not advance science or civilization. Breakthroughs are made by individuals who don't care what others believe, or what "everyone knows to be true." They think for themselves.

> The aforementioned commenters-forum posters, appear to be in such large number, stating the exact same stuff, that I feel like a deluded idiot.

To Simon: In addition to what Dr. Radin just wrote, I'd add that it would help if you took a class in developing your intuition so that you could have a psychic experience. The harsh, judgmental language of the skeptics can be confusing and even depressing. In some cases, there is a bit of the bully mentality in their zealous compulsion to bash this research. People's paradigms are very much tied up in the ego, and the bigger the ego, the more intensely they will battle any new worldview. It takes a strong sense of self and a lot of courage to hold to your beliefs in the face of such scorn.

Still, no one can take away your own experience, so I suggest you set out to have one. I've been teaching a class for adults in the Boston area for several years where I summarize the evidence that Dr. Radin and others have presented. Then after giving students some simple instructions in how to connect with each other telepathically, we close our eyes and read each other. Most are complete strangers, yet about two-thirds of the students are invariably able to have a telepathic experience. People get the experience in this way. Of course, research shows that people who’ve made up their minds that ESP is not real can't do it, and they will ruin it for everyone else. So I make sure that the students in my class are open minded.

These self-styled sceptics practice unknowingly a spiritual technique called Mantrayana. It works by repeating a sentence, called a mantra, repetitively so that the concept hopefully becomes true.

In their case, the mantra is "There Is No Proof". It's quite incredible: in _every_ sceptic stuff I have read, you find at least one utterance of this sentence. In my mind's eye I can see these people doing a round dance repeating this mantra. It's self-hypnosis so they acquire insensitivity to _any_ kind of evidence thrown at them. But sadly for them, reality seems to be quite insensible to that.

My advice to you: do what they _not_ do. They are armchair (or rather keyboard) people - they actually do nothing apart bullying others.

Stop reading stuff on Internet. It's sterile. Self-cultivate, and you may know the truth for yourself (and also get some additional health benefits). Meet people who _do_ things, while keeping your discriminative thinking of course.

Dean, I've been reading your new book, and was very interested by the parts of how meditation can actually change a persons brain structure and thus improve their health, emotions, and wellbeing. I hope I have not interpreted this wrong. But it seems to me that it implies the filter theory of mind seems correct, that consciousness is not produced by the brain, is that a correct interpretation?

TO Dean: You know, since I experienced my brain-wave-radio-wave connection (see earlier blog) I have been looking at Solipsism in a new say. Remember Sheldrake's notion of light rays coming from the eyes...Ala Plato and the Greeks?.I think my neural-connection experience is like that. Both notions are challenges to basic Solipcism, in other words, the individual emits a force, neural or visual...which somehow interacts with objects in the 'known' universe. I have my own theories on this...

To Simon: I would like to make a point about skeptics in general.There are emerging neuro theoriesconcerning important cultural effects as a direct result of Left Brain Cerebral Dominance.More easily said, Hubris is their chief trait. Iain McGilChrist is the best read on this...but beware...he quotes 1000's of neuro testing cases to support his case...for The Master and The Emmisary. You'll never see Randi in the Same Light again. By the way, it's pointless to bring emotions to the fray against people such as he. I am suggesting a neuro-deficiency for him as strongly as he is suggesting lunacy for us...lol.It's significant that Richard Dawkins flunked Persinger's PSI testing quiz...and then put on the GOD Helmet...and also fizzled in the lab. NO PSI for ol' Richard. But, my point is...their sour attitudes are brain-wired, they don't get PSI. But they hate BS theocracy (See they ain't all bad!)

Hi Folks. Earlier I had posted about a unique meditative experience I had which I postulated to be a connection between my brain waves...and the nearby radio that was activated. In continuing study, I find that Brain waves do not travel in this way...and are largely contained in the skull. The Heart-Brain, on the other hand with 65% of it's mass being neurons, also sends a fairly strong and regular electromagnetic field 10-15 ft beyond the body. In my 'radio-activation' scenario, the radio was about 6 ft away. It might seem more likely that some type of bodily change occurred, both in brain (which I felt as mental cessation and spiritual communication) AND also in heart expression, which may have been the cause or contributor to the radio activation. Aside, from this experience, several other 'event's have occurred..that are also peculiar and involve seeming electromagnetic changes in other devices, but I won't detail that here. I want to emphasize that I consider the EM wave-activation notion to be secondary to my spiritual effort.As it should be...Steven...